About the book:
From the popular authors of the Potluck Club books comes a cookbook loyal fans (and anyone who likes to eat) won't want to miss. The potluck meal makes sharing good, home-cooked food with family and friends simple and easy. Start with a few (or a lot of) guests, bring delicious dishes to share, and mix with love. A proven recipe for success. Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson , veterans of countless potluck dinners, have gathered their favorite recipes. From salads to casseroles to slow-cooker delights, there's something for everyone, even those watching their waistlines. Eating in is the new eating out. These great potluck ideas not only save money, but also build memories to last a lifetime.

A versatile cook book that will appeal to many people. All the recipes are easy and made from simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. The authors share their own dishes with little anecdotes about each recipe, as well as anecdotes about the Potluck Club book characters.

If I have any complaints it's that there are some inconsistencies: some recipes state how many servings, but others don't.

One recipe from the book:

Linda’s Chicken Tortilla Casserole

2 ½ T. chopped onions
¼ cup butter
3 T. flour
1 ½ cups milk
¾ cup chicken broth
1 t. salt
3 T. jalapeno peppers
1 ½ cups chopped canned tomatoes (stewed)
3 cups cubed chicken, cooked
½ cup shredded cheese
12 tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips

Sauté onions in butter, then add flour and cook until mixture is bubbly. Stir in milk and broth gradually. Stir in salt, peppers, and tomatoes.

In casserole dish, layer chicken, cheese, then strips of tortillas. Pour sauce over layers then sprinkle casserole with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve hot. Serves 6-8.

Linda: “You can’t go wrong with this tasty dish. It’s a potluck crowd favorite.” (Page 130)

Available September 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Donna Hausler from the Baker Publishing Group for the opportunity to review this book. You can find out more about Linda Evans Shepherd here, and Eva Marie Everson here. You can learn more about the Potluck Club books here. You can purchase your own copy here.

* * *
3/5 Stars

About the book:
The book has already sold more than 5 million copies, so we didn't want to spoil it! We have only added a few enhancements to this original cookbook in the wildly claimed Fix-It and Forget-It cookbook series:

Brand New: 100 new recipes for slow cookers.
Brand New: "Prep Time," "Cooking Time," and "Ideal Slow-Cooker Size" are included for each recipe.
Brand New: 4 pages of basic and very helpful "Extra Information"

* "Substitute Ingredients for When You're in a Pinch"
* "Equivalent Measurements"
* "Kitchen Tools and Equipment You May Have Overlooked"
* "Assumptions about Ingredients in Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook, Revised and Updated"

Brand New: 1 page of "Tips for Using Your Slow Cooker: a Friendly, Year-Round Appliance."
Brand New: Additional tips and tricks for making the most of your slow cooker, spread throughout the book.
Brand New: A second color -- a rich purple -- for recipe titles, contributors' names and addresses, the words "Tip" and "Variation," and the numbered instruction steps.
Brand New: The drawings on the opening pages of chapters and the spot illustrations throughout.
Brand New: 1 page of tip-in color, right inside the front cover.
Brand New: 2 pages of review excerpts to position the original book's success, immediately following the tip-in page of color.

Revised: An improved Index!
Revised: A personal Introduction to the book by author Phyllis Pellman Good.
Revised: Good's personal comments and voice throughout the recipes.

We've learned a lot since the original Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook first quietly appeared. Now you and your customers can benefit with this new edition of the beloved favorite -- Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook REVISED and UPDATED!


Tons of recipes for just about any dish or ingredient you could envision.  With three recipes to a page, this book is packed.  The author also includes tips, equivalent measurements and substitute ingredients. None of these recipes are fancy or gourmet, but all are easy and meals that everyday people would enjoy.  A great book to start with, or just to revitalize your current crock pot recipes.

As is my request of all cookbooks, I would have loved a spiral binding and more photos!  This would be a great gift for a new bride, especially when accompanied by a slow cooker.

Thanks to FSB Associates for the opportunity to review this book.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 6/10

* * * *
4/5 Stars

About the book:
The Cake Mix Doctor is in! And the prescription is simple: By doctoring up packaged cake mix with just the right extras--a touch of sweet butter here, cocoa powder there, or poppy seeds, vanilla yogurt, sherry, eggs, and grated lemon zest for the Charleston Poppy Seed Cake--even the least experienced baker can turn out luscious signature desserts, time after time. The proof is in the taste, and the taste never stops--from Toasted Coconut Sour Cream Cake to Devilishly Good Chocolate Cake; from a to-die-for Caramel Cake and a Holiday Yule Log to cheesecakes, coffee cakes, sheet cakes, pound cakes, bars, brownies, and those all-important frostings, here are 175 fast, foolproof recipes that will transform the art of home baking in America.

Who could believe these cakes came out of a box? Moist, tender, rich, deep, and complexly flavored, without a hint of artificiality, each cake stand up and delivers. But without any of the fuss of baking from scratch. Anne Byrn, an award-wining food writer and self-described purist, creates recipes that employ a cake mix's strengths--convenience, ease-of-use, dependability, and almost imperviousness to overbeating, underbeating, overbaking, and underbaking.

In addition to the recipes are the Cake Mix Doctor's Q&A's, extensive "Doctor Says" tips, lists--15 Beautiful Birthday Cakes, 15 Cakes That Will Cash in at a Bake Sale--and more, all illustrated in a full-color photographic insert.

The idea behind this book is good, if you use cake mixes. There are some innovative and fun ways to doctor up cake mixes so that they taste homemade.

I don't use cake mixes anymore (except for two recipes: Lemon Sheet Cake and Turtle Brownies), and I think it's just as easy to mix up a cake from scratch, as it is to add a bunch of stuff to a mix.

However, for someone who only uses cake mixes, I think this is a great book. For someone who cooks from scratch, it's a waste of time, unless you want some different ideas for flavored cakes and you can just add some of the extras to your tried and true scratch recipes.

You can purchase your own copy here.

* *
2/5 Stars

About the book:
Did you truly enjoy the food you ate today? Do you really like the way you look and feel? Are you consistently enjoying great health and high energy?

Bill Phillips, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Body-for-LIFE, believes your answer to all of the above questions should be, "Yes!" He feels that food should be a source of pure pleasure. A source of positive, abundant energy! A "sure thing" in a world of much uncertainty.

Phillips, who's widely regarded as today's most successful fitness author, has firm beliefs which go against the grain of today's popular weight-loss methods. "Diets, all of them, are potentially dangerous, most always dumb and ultimately a dead-end street!" he insists. "Eventually, anyone and everyone who's at all concerned with their health must learn how to feed their body, not how to starve it."

Instead, Phillips encourages a safe and sound solution which includes eating balanced, nutrient-rich meals, frequently throughout the day. "This is what works in the long run," he explains.

Rich with common sense and science, Eating for Life has rhyme and reason. It is specific. There are very clear dos and don'ts which help people enjoy food and improve their overall fitness.

Bill's approach, which he calls the "Eating for Lifestyle," has already helped thousands of people break free from the dieting dilemma and discover that, contrary to pop-culture belief, food is friend, not foe. Used intelligently, it nourishes the body and mind, satisfies the appetite, calms cravings, renews health and lifts energy.

Like Bill Phillips' Body-for-LIFE, this is a tell-it-like-it-is book. There's no promise of a quick fix. No metabolic tricks or so-called miracles. Just straightforward, clear, concise, practical and appropriate principles for eating right... for life.

An excellent cookbook for healthy eating. It's a companion to the Body for Life series, but there are recipes in here that are just plain good, even if you don't follow the Body for Life program. We especially love the Grilled Chicken Tuscan Style on page 153. (Although we call it Tuscan Chicken!)

There is a lot of information about healthy eating, weight loss and working out as well. Much of that information comes from the Body for Life books. My husband likes the Body for Life program and it has worked for him. It doesn't work for me so much. However, this is fantastic cookbook that stands on its own.

You can learn more about Body for Life here.  You can purchase your own copy here.

* * * *
4/5 Stars

About the book:
An anonymous gift sends a woman on a journey she never could have anticipated.

One afternoon, Julia Evarts and her five-year-old daughter, Gracie, arrive home to find an unexpected gift on the front porch: a homemade loaf of Amish Friendship Bread and a simple note: I hope you enjoy it. Also included are a bag of starter, instructions on how to make the bread herself, and a request to share it with others. Still reeling from a personal tragedy that left her estranged from the sister who was once her best friend, Julia remains at a loss as to how to move on with her life. She’d just as soon toss the anonymous gift, but to make Gracie happy, she agrees to bake the bread.

When Julia meets two newcomers to the small town of Avalon, Illinois, she sparks a connection by offering them her extra bread starter. Widow Madeline Davis is laboring to keep her tea salon afloat while Hannah Wang de Brisay, a famed concert cellist, is at a crossroads, her career and marriage having come to an abrupt end. In the warm kitchen of Madeline’s tea salon, the three women forge a friendship that will change their lives forever.

In no time, everyone in Avalon is baking Amish Friendship Bread. But even as the town unites for a benevolent cause and Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, she realizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares with her sister.

About life and loss, friendship and community, food and family, Friendship Bread tells the uplifting story of what endures when even the unthinkable happens.

A charming, heartwarming story.   You will laugh and cry with Julia, Hannah and Madeline as you learn each woman's story, heartbreaks and regrets, and you will cheer as they discover joy and happiness among friends.

A lot of characters are introduced throughout the book and, at first, I was concerned that it would get confusing.  It doesn't.  The main, core characters stay the same throughout the story and the extra people we learn about all come together at the end in a fantastic show of small-town support and friendship. I didn't really like the prickly Edie, but as she is kind of the antagonist, I guess it's to be expected.  She redeems herself which is nice. 

I love Amish Friendship Bread.  I'm not one for passing around starter bags, so I just keep them flattened in my freezer and bake a couple of loaves whenever I feel like it. For some, a bag of Friendship Bread starter is a death knell and only good for a big dose of guilt and pressure.  I personally think it's a delicious treat and it never lasts long at my house.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading a story based around Friendship Bread.  Darien Gee completely captures the essence of community, friendship and good food.  This is a delightful story and one I can easily recommend.

My only complaint is the present tense narrative.  I hate present tense more than I hate first-person, if that's possible!  It's so awkward and I don't understand why writers choose it.  I find myself distracted and annoyed while reading and, for me anyway, it detracts from the story, which is sad because this is a terrific story.

I love the inclusion of Amish Friendship Bread recipes at the end of the book.  It never occurred to me that I could use the batter as a base for other things.  What an awesome idea!  I'm excited to try some of these new recipes.  I think this book would make a lovely gift for a friend and if you gave it with a bag of starter, all the better!

Thanks to Cheryl of Pump Up Your Book Promotion for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Darien Gee here.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 2/11

* * * *
4/5 Stars

About the book:
My name is Ree.
Some folks know me as The Pioneer Woman.

After years of living in Los Angeles, I made a pit stop in my hometown in Oklahoma on the way to a new, exciting life in Chicago. It was during my stay at home that I met Marlboro Man, a mysterious cowboy with steely blue eyes and a muscular, work-honed body. A strict vegetarian, I fell hard and fast, and before I knew it we were married and living on his ranch in the middle of nowhere, taking care of animals, and managing a brood of four young children. I had no idea how I'd wound up there, but I knew it was exactly where I belonged.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks is a homespun collection of photography, rural stories, and scrumptious recipes that have defined my experience in the country. I share many of the delicious cowboy-tested recipes I've learned to make during my years as an accidental ranch wife—including Rib-Eye Steak with Whiskey Cream Sauce, Lasagna, Fried Chicken, Patsy's Blackberry Cobbler, and Cinnamon Rolls—not to mention several "cowgirl-friendly" dishes, such as Sherried Tomato Soup, Olive Cheese Bread, and Creme Brulee. I show my recipes in full color, step-by-step detail, so it's as easy as pie to follow along.

You'll also find colorful images of rural life: cows, horses, country kids, and plenty of chaps-wearing cowboys.

I hope you get a kick out of this book of mine. I hope it makes you smile. I hope the recipes bring you recognition, accolades, and marriage proposals. And I hope it encourages even the most harried urban cook to slow down, relish the joys of family, nature, and great food, and enjoy life.


Like many others, I enjoy Ree's website, The Pioneer Woman. And to say she has a cult following is an understatement. When she said she was coming out with a cookbook, I really debated about whether or not to get it. I did receive it as a birthday present and, for the most part, I like it.

As far as I can tell, all of these recipes are repeats from her blog. There doesn't seem to be anything new. She follows the same format here with pictures of each step in the cooking process. Since most cookbooks don't even include photos of the finished product, this is refreshing.

I've found a few recipes that I like, but what I enjoyed the most was her commentary. She includes many, many photos of life on the ranch, the punks, the cows and Marlboro Man. Her commentary is funny and entertaining. This is as much a book to simply read, as it is a cook book.

Bottom line: if you enjoy the Pioneer Woman, you'll enjoy this. If you're not sure about the recipes, stand in a bookstore and read through it first. Ree does like cooking with alcohol and none of these recipes are in any way low fat.

You can learn more about The Pioneer Woman here.  You can purchase your own copy here.

* * *
3/5 Stars

About the book:
Modern Miss Marple: A Magnet for Murder?
by Jane Seeley, feature reporter, The Denver Post
Local "celebrity" Sadie Hoffmiller has been involved in a number of unfortunate situations that have taken her to crime scenes from London, England, to Miami, Florida, and even in her own backyard of Garrison, Colorado. But is she truly an unwitting bystander in all these investigations? Or is she something more? Is she, perhaps, even the cause...?

The word is out about Sadie Hoffmiller's amateur detective work, but it's not the kind of publicity Sadie wants. When Jane's article threatens Sadie's reputation in the community, she accepts her first investigation-for-hire and travels to Portland, Oregon - if only to give herself some space from her whispering neighbors. And from Pete, who is sending her mixed signals about their budding relationship.

Sadie hopes the Portland air will clear her head, and she is eager to get to work for May Sanderson, who has suspicions about her father's untimely death.

Putting her detective skills to the test, Sadie delves into a complicated past that includes a business partnership that didn't end well, several unsavory family secrets, and more than a few motives for murder.

Sadie is afraid she might crumble under the pressure, but in a new place with new recipes, she finds herself more determined than ever to uncover the answers buried in scandal, insatiable appetites, and pure and simple greed. 

Sadie Hoffmiller strikes again!  This time, however, she has accepted her first paid investigative assignment.  That she isn't a licensed detective doesn't matter.  Armed with a lock pick set and a fake ID, she heads off to Portland to put some space between herself and her hometown.

In true Sadie fashion, she gets herself in trouble and has many cringe-inducing embarrassing moments.  But, also in true Sadie fashion, as she uncovers motives and clues she also discovers families that need to be reunited.  And, along the way she discovers some terrific new recipes, some of which sound absolutely delicious.

Simply a fun story.  An easy enjoyable read.

Thanks to Tracee at Pump Up Your Book for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Josi Kilpack here.  Check out Lemon Tart, English Trifle, Devil's Food Cake, and Key Lime Pie. You can find other Blackberry Crumble reviews here. You can purchase your own copy of Blackberry Crumble here.

Read 3/11

* * * *
4/5 Stars

About the book:
In this inspiring new book, Lidia Bastianich awakens in us a new respect for food and for the people who produce it in the little-known parts of Italy that she explores. All of the recipes reflect the regions from which they spring, and in translating them to our home kitchens, Lidia passes on time-honored techniques and wonderful, uncomplicated recipes for dishes bursting with different regional flavors -- the kind of elemental, good family cooking that is particularly appreciated today.

Penetrating the heart of Italy -- starting at the north, working down to the tip, and ending in Sardinia -- Lidia unearths a wealth of recipes:

• From Trentino-Alto Adige: Delicious Dumplings with Speck (cured pork); apples accenting soup, pasta, salsa, and salad; local beer used to roast a chicken and to braise beef
• From Lombardy: A world of rice -- baked in a frittata, with lentils, with butternut squash, with gorgonzola, with eggs and cheese, and the special treat of Risotto Milan-Style with Marrow and Saffron
• From Valle D'Aosta: Polenta with Black Beans and Kale, and local fontina featured in fondue, in a roasted pepper salad, and embedded in veal chops
• From Liguria: An array of Stuffed Vegetables, a bread salad, and elegant Veal Stuffed with a Mosaic of Vegetables
• From Emilia-Romagna: An olive oil dough for making the traditional, versatile vegetable tart erbazzone, as well as the secrets of making tagliatelle and other pasta doughs, and an irresistible Veal Scaloppine Bolognese
• From Le Marche: Farro with Roasted Pepper Sauce, Lamb Chunks with Olives, and Stuffed Quail in Parchment
• From Umbria: A taste of the sweet Norcino black truffle, and seductive dishes such as Potato-Mushroom Cake with Braised Lentils, Sausages in the Skillet with Grapes, and Chocolate Bread Parfait
• From Abruzzo: Fresh scrippelle (crêpe) ribbons baked with spinach or garnishing a soup, fresh pasta made with a "guitar," Rabbit with Onions, and Lamb Chops with Olives
• From Molise: Fried Ricotta; homemade cavatelli pasta in a variety of ways; Spaghetti with Calamari, Shrimp, and Scallops; and Braised Octopus
• From Basilicata: Wedding Soup, Fiery Maccheroni, and Farro with Pork Ragù
• From Calabria: Shepherd's Rigatoni, steamed swordfish, and Almond Biscottini
• From Sardinia: Flatbread Lasagna, two lovely eggplant dishes, and Roast Lobster with Bread Crumb Topping

This is just a sampling of the many delight Lidia has uncovered. All the recipes she shares with us in this rich feast of a book represent the work of the local people and friends with whom she made intimate contact -- the farmers, shepherds, foragers, and artisans who produce regional cheeses, meats, olive oils, and wines. And in addition, her daughter, Tanya, takes us on side trips in each of the twelve regions to share her love of the country and its art.

I don't regularly watch cooking shows, but I love Lidia's show when I can catch it on PBS. She's an absolute delight to watch, and her cookbook is just as great. I love this book as much for the commentary as I do the recipes.

I have so many of them marked, it's going to take me awhile to get through all of them. But, my mouth waters just reading them. I love that each region is high-lighted, not only with recipes, but with lovely commentary about the area and the people. And each recipe isn't just written out with ingredients and instructions; Lidia shares definitions, explanations and anecdotes about how a dish or ingredient came to be created or used.

Like I do with every cookbook, I wish this had a photo for every recipe, but this is a lovely book, perfect for any cook who wants to learn a more authentic Italian way of cooking, and it would make a gorgeous gift. My first recipe: Spaghetti in Tomato-Apple Sauce, followed by Baked Penne & Mushrooms, followed by Almond Torta with Chocolate Chips, followed by Fresh Cavatelli with Eggs & Bacon, followed by...

Thanks to Caitlin Price of FSB Associates for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Lidia here. You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 4/10

* * * *
4/5 Stars

About the book:
It has become common knowledge that childhood obesity rates are increasing every year. But the rates continue to rise. And between busy work schedules and the inconvenient truth that kids simply refuse to eat vegetables and other healthy foods, how can average parents ensure their kids are getting the proper nutrition and avoiding bad eating habits?

As a mother of three, Jessica Seinfeld can speak for all parents who struggle to feed their kids right and deal nightly with dinnertime fiascos. As she wages a personal war against sugars, packaged foods, and other nutritional saboteurs, she offers appetizing alternatives for parents who find themselves succumbing to the fastest and easiest (and least healthy) choices available to them. Her modus operandi? Her book is filled with traditional recipes that kids love, except they're stealthily packed with veggies hidden in them so kids don't even know! With the help of a nutritionist and a professional chef, Seinfeld has developed a month's worth of meals for kids of all ages that includes, for example, pureed cauliflower in mac and cheese, and kale in spaghetti and meatballs. She also provides revealing and humorous personal anecdotes, tear–out shopping guides to help parents zoom through the supermarket, and tips on how to deal with the kid that "must have" the latest sugar bomb cereal.

But this book also contains much more than recipes and tips. By solving problems on a practical level for parents, Seinfeld addresses the big picture issues that surround childhood obesity and its long–term (and ruinous) effects on the body. With the help of a prominent nutritionist, her book provides parents with an arsenal of information related to kids' nutrition so parents understand why it's important to throw in a little avocado puree into their quesadillas. She discusses the critical importance of portion size, and the specific elements kids simply must have (as opposed to adults) in order to flourish now and in the future: protein, calcium, vitamins, and Omega 3 and 6 fats.

Jessica Seinfeld's book is practical, easy–to–read, and a godsend for any parent that wants their kids to be healthy for a long time to come.

Pretty much a joke of a book. I'm glad I got it from the library and didn't waste my money buying it. I love cookbooks. I love finding new recipes, especially kid friendly ones. None of these were interesting. There wasn't one that I was tempted to try.

I don't have the time nor the inclination to purchase and puree vegetables to then hide them in brownies or cookies. If I wanted to do that, I'd add them to my own tried and tested recipes anyway. And, I'm sorry, adding chick peas to chocolate chip cookies or pureed spinach to brownies? No thank you.

While interesting, this concept isn't a new one. And while I'd like to think everything in this book is authentic, the author is married to a celebrity, so the assumption has to be made that she's created this to capitalize. It's also too cutesy for me with the drawings of her perfect family and their little "quotes" and comments.

Should you still want to purchase one, you can do so here.

*
1/5 Stars

About the book:
High Crimes at High Tea 
Things to Do in England: Visit Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and the London Zoo. Take the Jack the Ripper tour. Creepy! Sample authentic English scones and crumpets. Discover a dead body.

What begins as a holiday trip for amateur sleuth and cooking aficionado Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter, Breanna, turns into a bizarre mystery when they discover a dead body in the sitting room of an English manor. Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, is heir to both the family title and the family estate of Southgate, where everyone seems to have a secret . . . or two. 

When the body in the sitting room disappears, Sadie and Breanna are stranded at the estate until the police can clear them to leave. With their departure delayed, they might as well solve the murder. Armed with a jogging whistle, her personal recipe collection, and an unfailing sense of American justice, Sadie begins her own investigation to find the killer. 

But as Sadie uncovers layer after layer of misdirection, secrets, and outright lies, she wonders if anyone is telling the truth or if the case is really as hopeless as it appears to be. Take a missing family history, toss in a secret romance, mix with a mysterious murder, and this is one vacation Sadie will never forget.

A sequel to Lemon Tart, this is the second in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series. And, this novel is just as much fun! Sadie Hoffmiller returns and manages to find death and mayhem in upper crust England.

Sadie and her daughter Breanna are off to visit England with Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, who is heir to an English title and a fancy English estate, complete with servants and a dead body in the living room.

The body disappears, the staff have secrets and the British police are inept. In true Hoffmiller fashion, Sadie decides that she is better equipped to find the murderer than any British inspectors. And if she can learn how to make crumpets along the way, so much the better!

Like Lemon Tart, this one is laugh out loud funny in places. Sadie is funny and forthright and determined to find out the truth. Like an English Trifle dessert, she uncovers layer after layer of secrets as she works her way through the manor, the staff, Liam's family history and the kitchen!

A fun, easy read, Josi has also included lots of fun recipes, including some authentic English ones. While I had a hard time following all the details of how titles are passed on, and who was who, it didn't detract from the story at all. Definitely recommended!

Thanks to my local library for a copy I could borrow! You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 12/09

* * * *
4/5 Stars

About the book:
A recipe for murder!

* 5 families living on Peregrine Circle
* 1 flowered curtain tieback
* 1 missing child
* 1 body in the field

Mix with a long list of suspects and top with two very different detectives. Increase heat until only the truth remains.

Award-winning author Josi S. Kilpack introduces a new series of culinary "cozies" that is sure to tantalize mystery lovers. In this debut volume, cooking aficionado-turned-amateur detective, Sadie Hoffmiller, tries to solve the murder of Anne Lemmon, her beautiful young neighbor - a single mother who was mysteriously killed while a lemon tart was baking in her oven. At the heart of Sadie's search is Anne's missing two-year-old son, Trevor. Whoever took the child must be the murderer, but Sadie is certain that the police are looking at all the wrong suspects - including her!

Armed with a handful of her very best culinary masterpieces, Sadie is determined to bake her way to proving her innocence, rescuing Trevor, and finding out exactly who had a motive for murder.

A lot of fun. I'm not normally a big fan of mysteries, but I'm a big fan of Josi Kilpack. Lemon Tart is simply a fun book to read.

Sadie Hoffmiller is one of those neighbors you wish you had living next door. A widow whose children are raised, Sadie loves to cook and bake and look out for her neighbors. When Anne Lemmon, a young, single mother moves into the neighborhood, Sadie becomes her friend and mentor. When Anne is tragically murdered while a lemon tart bakes in her oven, Sadie decides to begin her own investigation. Anne's young son is missing and Sadie is convinced that the police detectives aren't able to solve the murder and find Trevor.

Josi has given us a cast of interesting characters and blended the story so well, that I didn't have the actual murderer figured out until the very end. Sadie is delightful and you just want to laugh out loud at her antics and thought processes as she trips up the detectives and forms her own opinions and conclusions.

A simply delightful read. Light, but not fluffy and packed full of delicious recipes that I'm determined to try. I'm excited that this is part of a series. Sadie is someone I want to visit again.

Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 4/09

* * * *
4/5 Stars

About the book:
When Sadie Hoffmiller's new friend, Eric Burton, receives word that his missing daughter's body may have been found in Florida, he immediately packs his bags, but Sadie is determined to stay home and prove to everyone that she is not a busybody.

But when she senses Eric is hiding something, Sadie is compelled to take action. Before she knows it, she's in the heart of Miami, trying to piece together a trail littered with broken relationships, mysterious strangers, and forged documents that might just provide Eric the answers he's been desperately searching for - or reveal a truth he may not be ready to face.

Sadie must also face a difficult question: Where is her heart leading her? Onward into Eric's adventurous arms? Or back home to the stable and steady Pete Cunningham? Of only love was as easy as following a recipe.

Once again, Sadie finds herself in the company of some colorful characters and on the hunt for some good old-fashioned Southern cooking. But despite the drama and intrigue, all Sadie really wants is to go home ... as soon as she does just one more thing.

Includes eight new mouthwatering recipes, tested and approved by the official bakers of Sadie's Test Kitchen

As Sadie is finishing up her community service sentence (after her arrest in Devil's Food Cake), her friend Eric rushes to Florida to because of new information regarding his missing daughter.  Sadie soon finds herself involved in another investigation.  As is typically Sadie, she gets into trouble, but also uncovers information the police can never find.  She's also conflicted about her friendship with Eric and her relationship with Pete and she has an obsession with finding a good Key Lime Pie while she's in Florida!

While I have loved all the Sadie Hoffmiller books, this one is probably my least favorite.  Sadie's antics are never quite plausible, but they border the extreme here.  Nevertheless, the story is entertaining and a great diversion.  I love Sadie Hoffmiller.  She's just a kick.  I'd love to have her for a neighbor. I think this is a fabulous series and I'm looking forward to Blackberry Crumble.

Thanks to Tracee at Pump Up Your Book Promotion for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Josi Kilpack and download Sadie's recipes here.  You can purchase your own copy here.  You can see other reviews here.

Read 10/10

* * *
3/5 Stars

About the book:
A luminous, tender-hearted debut novel about a young widow, a nine-year-old girl, and a baking contest that will change both their lives.

Rose-Ellen “Zell” Carmichael Roy wears her late husband Nick’s camouflage apron even when she’s not in the kitchen. She can’t remember the last time she wore a bra, and she speaks to her dog in the voice of a pirate. That’s her widow style.

It’s been over a year since Nick died tragically during a post-Katrina relief mission in New Orleans. Long enough, according to the grief pamphlets, to have begun moving on with her life. But Zell is still unable to enter her attic, which is full of Nick memories. She hasn’t even turned on her oven because cooking was Nick’s chore. That is, until she decides to enter celebrity chef Polly Pinch’s first annual Desserts that Warm the Soul baking contest, hoping to win the $20,000 grand prize to donate to Katrina survivors in Nick’s honor.

Meanwhile, in the adjacent apartment of Zell’s two-family house, nine-year-old Ingrid Knox is learning to cope with the loneliness of growing up without a mother. With an imagination as big as her heart, Ingrid treasures her doting father but begins to plot how she will meet her mother, whom she fiercely believes is Polly Pinch.

When an embarrassing baking mishap brings Zell and Ingrid together, they form an unlikely friendship that will alter both of their lives forever. Together, and with the help of a lively and loveable cast of friends and family, they embark on winning the Desserts that Warm the Soul contest – and learn that through the many sorrows and joys of life, with a little bit of flour and a pinch of love, anything is possible.

I loved the cover and it was about cooking.  How could I go wrong?  I couldn't.  Quirky characters and a cooking contest add a bit of lightness to what could be a heavy, depressing topic of grief and recovery.  Instead, it's a sweet story about friendship and recreating a life after a devastating loss.  I liked Zell.  I loved Ingrid.

The story wraps up neatly, but wasn't completely predictable.  It's first person for Zell and present tense for everyone else, which is so awkward.  When I started it, I kept wondering where it was going to do and what the purpose was.  Once I let myself simply enjoy the ride and gave up trying to figure things out, I appreciated the story.

The Katrina tragedy was a terrific backdrop, revealing that service and help are still ongoing and needed in New Orleans.  I think this is a terrific debut novel.  I loved that Alicia Bessette included the contest recipe at the end of the book! 

Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow.  You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 10/10

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4/5 Stars

About the book:
Camilla's Cucinotta: Italian Cooking Classes
Fresh take-home pastas and sauces daily
Benvenuti (Welcome!)

Holly Maguire's grandmother was the Love Goddess of Blue Crab Island, Maine–a Milanese fortune teller who could predict the right man for you, and whose Italian cooking was rumored to save marriages. Holly has been waiting years for her unlikely fortune: her true love will like sa cordula, an unappetizing old-world delicacy. But Holly can't make a decent marinara sauce, let alone sa cordula. Maybe that's why the man she hopes to marry breaks her heart. So when Holly inherits Camilla's Cucinotta, she's determined to forget about fortunes and love and become an Italian cooking teacher worthy of her grandmother's legacy.

But Holly's four students are seeking much more than how to make Camilla's chicken alla Milanese. Simon, a single father, hopes to cook his way back into his daughter's heart. Juliet, Holly's childhood friend, hides a painful secret. Tamara, a serial dater, can't find the love she longs for. And twelve-year-old Mia thinks learning to cook will stop her dad from marrying his phony lasagna-queen girlfriend.

As the class gathers each week, adding Camilla's essential ingredients of wishes and memories into every pot and pan, unexpected friendships and romances are formed–and tested. Especially when Holly falls hard for Liam . . . and learns a thing or two about finding her own recipe for happiness.  

So many books that are filled with multiple women bonding over some hobby are cliched, predictable and shallow.  This one isn't.  It is, quite simply, delightful.  I love Holly. (She has such a great name!)  When she takes her broken heart back to Maine, her grandmother welcomes her home.  Just as she is becoming comfortable, her grandmother passes away and she's left to find herself on her own.  Armed with her grandmother's recipe book, kitchen and diaries, Holly leaps headlong into a new life.  

Camilla's essential ingredients were wishes and memories and it's when Holly begins choosing which wishes and memories to add to her recipes, that she discovers what she wants out of life.   

The narration evokes familiarity.  I think most people have memories which involve food and the preparation of food. So much of Holly's story takes place in the kitchen: her grandmother's kitchen and then hers.  My family isn't Italian (we're Scotch/English), but we love cooking and I have many fond memories of cooking with my mother and grandmother.  Most of the significant discussions of my youth happened in the kitchen while my mom and I were cooking.    

There is one unnecessary instance of the F word, and some pre-marital sex, but without all the details, thank goodness!    

With quirky characters and a charming heroine, this is a delicious story of friendship, love and discovery.

Thanks to Simon & Shuster for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Melissa Senate here. You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 10/10

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4/5 Stars

About the book:
With gigantic vats of churning chocolate, desserts like their famous chocolate pizza, and 12 varieties of hot chocolate served in custom mugs, Max Brenner, Chocolate by the Bald Man has turned their line of hip, colorful themed restaurants into an international sensation.

Chocolate: A Love Story is a vibrant new cookbook that includes 65 original recipes narrated in the quirky, captivating voice of Max Brenner, the restaurant's visionary founder and "bald man." Bold original illustrations inspired by Art Deco poster graphics, full-color photographs, easy-to-follow, delicious recipes, and a serving of Max's unique vision for spreading "chocolate culture" around the world make this book a must for every chocolate lover.

For all my love of chocolate, I was not familiar with Max Brenner before I received this book. And, it's a lovely book. All the recipes are rather avant-garde and fancy. No simple, everyday cakes or cookies here. Many recipes begin with a short anecdote from Max. In one, he's sitting outside a cafe in Paris; in another, he recalls a childhood experience at an amusement park.

While, technically, a cookbook with recipes, this is really more of coffee table art book. There are few photos of the finished recipes. The artwork is very retro 60s and is fascinating. While this isn't one that will most likely end up in my kitchen, it nevertheless would be a terrific book for any Max Brenner fan, or a true Chocolate connoisseur.

Thanks to Anna Balasi of Hatchette Book Group for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Max Brenner here. You can purchase the book here.

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3/5 Stars

This cookbook is quite simply fun. I found it in a used bookstore several weeks ago. Sure, some of the recipes are interesting, but more than that, it's a terrific commentary about food and the evolution of cooking. Along with recipes, there are informative stories about the creation of food products like gelatin and the ability to flash freeze food, which was perfected by Clarence Birdseye.

The photos are vintage, as are the recipes. Some are appealing, such as "Orange Bread" and "Baked Pork Chops with Apples". "Beet Aspic" doesn't sound very good, but it was "up-to-date" in 1928!

I love the little excerpts and anecdotes sprinkled through out the book. They share things like this gem from 1895, To keep vegetables fresh, place them in a deep dish in about two inches of cold water. Take a piece of linen, soak it in water and spread over all, letting the corners dip into the water to keep the cloth moist. Place dish in a window where the the air can blow over it.

If you can track down a copy, this is just a fun book to read. That there are good recipes in it is simply a bonus.  You may be able to get a copy here.

New Ghirardelli LUXE MILK chocolates deliver the ultimate milk chocolate experience with rich and creamy Ghirardelli milk chocolate using simply delicious, all natural ingredients. As with all of our premium chocolate products, we hand select the world’s finest cocoa beans to create our proprietary bean blend and roast them to perfection. Then we slow-blend in the purest ingredients such as real cocoa butter and natural vanilla, to achieve our distinctively intense chocolate. 

New LUXE MILK chocolates are currently available at your local grocery story, Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, CVS, Borders and other specialty stores.

Thanks to Foodbuzz and Ghirardelli, I was able to review the new LUXE MILK chocolates from Ghirardelli.  Holy fantastic chocolate Batman!

I love Ghirardelli chocolate anyway, but these Luxe Milk chocolates are fantastic.  Smooth and creamy.  I tried the Milk, Almond and Hazelnut versions and I loved them all.  I think the Hazelnut is my favorite, but Milk Chocolate is a close second.  I love that you can buy the bags of squares because one square is a terrific chocolate fix.

The nice thing about these is that you can get them at your regular store.  I've found them at Wal-Mart, which means I don't have to make a special trip out to Cost Plus.  (Which isn't always a bad thing, it's just a bit of a drive!)

Find yourself some Ghirardelli today!

About the book:
Joe Fitzpatrick's been working wonders in the kitchen and on the grill for decades. Now you, oh lucky one, can share his secret powers and wow friends and family alike. Serve real food that fills the belly, satisfies the soul, and wins the day. Not just Sundays.

I prepare dinner and my family sits down together nearly every night of the week to eat together. Even so, Sunday dinner is often a bit more special and something I like to spend more time preparing. Strictly Sundays is a beautiful little cookbook with just that premise. Many of the recipes aren't simple: they take some work and preparation, but the end result is a dish your family can enjoy together on a day that is just a little more special.

For those who don't cook with alcohol, be aware that many of these recipes call for wine, so you will want to find substitutes. For inexperienced cooks, many of these recipes could also be a little intimidating at first. However, nothing is out of reach or experience.

The book doesn't include any bread or dessert dishes. I also wish, just like I do with most cookbooks, that there was a photo for every recipe and that the binding was spiral so that it would lay flat. The photography, however, is gorgeous and perfect for a book that is more gourmet than ordinary.

Thanks to Bostick Communications for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Joe Fitzpatrick here.  You can purchase your own copy here.

* * * *
4/5 Stars

About the book:
A story of food and love, injury and healing, Keeping the Feast is the triumphant memoir of one couple's nourishment and restoration in Italy after a period of tragedy, and the extraordinary sustaining powers of food, family, and friendship.

Paula and John met in Italy, fell in love, and four years later, married in Rome. But less than a month after the wedding, tragedy struck. They had transferred from their Italian paradise to Warsaw and while reporting on an uprising in Romania, John was shot and nearly killed by sniper fire. Although he recovered from his physical wounds in less than a year, the process of healing had just begun. Unable to regain his equilibrium, he sank into a deep sadness that reverberated throughout their relationship. It was the abrupt end of what they'd known together, and the beginning of a new phase of life neither had planned for. All of a sudden, Paula was forced to reexamine her marriage, her husband, and herself.

Paula began to reconsider all of her previous assumptions about healing. She discovered that sometimes patience can be a vice, anger a virtue. That sometimes it is vital to make demands of the sick, that they show signs of getting better. And she rediscovered the importance of the most fundamental of human rituals: the daily sharing of food around the family table.

A universal story of hope and healing, Keeping the Feast is an account of one couple's triumph over tragedy and illness, and a celebration of the simple rituals of life, even during the worst life crises. Beautifully written and tremendously moving, Paula's story is a testament to the extraordinary sustaining powers of food and love, and to the stubborn belief that there is always an afterward, there is always hope. 

This is another one of those books where the review doesn't come easily, but the story stays with you. Paula Butterini and John Tagliabue were recently married journalists living abroad when tragedy struck and John was shot in Romania.  Prone to depression in the past, John settled into a deep depression following the shooting.  Keeping the Feast is the story of their experience with getting him healthy again.  Having lived in Rome and having a deep love of Italy, due to the Italian heritage they both shared, Paula and John returned to Rome in an effort to find comfort and healing.

The feast part of this story comes from her focus on cooking. Shopping for the day's food and cooking those meals were the two things that helped keep her grounded as she struggled with the day to day unknowns.

This is very much Paula's story and how she reacted to John's life changing experiences.  I would like to read John's version of their experiences.  And I wished for some recipes, as so many of her meals sounded delicious, but I also understand that not cooking by the book is somewhat liberating and refreshing.

While not a completely happy memoir, I found it well written, enthralling and quite lyrical.  It also ends on a happy, positive note.  Paula certainly has a way with words and descriptions and her story is moving.  It's a terrific account of how depression truly is a sickness; a sickness that affects whole families, even if it is only one person who actually suffers from the illness. That Italy and Paris happen to be the settings is simply a bonus.

Thanks to my local library for having a copy I could borrow.  You can learn more about Paula Butterini here. You can purchase your own copy here.

Read 7/10

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4/5 Stars

About the book:
It's been years since author Thom Mortenson has been back to Garrison, Colorado. As part of the library fundraising committee, who invited him to speak, Sadie Hoffmiller wants everything to be perfect—right down to the homemade Devil’s Food Cake she made herself. Murder, however, was not on the menu.

When Thom's manager ends up dead on stage, Sadie does what any woman with a history of solving murders does--jumps right in to offer her guidance and expertise. The police, however, are not very appreciative. In fact, they’d rather she just go home. But can Sadie help it if she keeps stumbling over information? Can she help it if the people intricately woven into the deception keep crossing her path? The more she learns, the broader the spectrum becomes and when the police refuse to take her seriously, Sadie has no choice but to sidestep them altogether in the pursuit of justice.

With her son Shawn at her side, her reputation on the line, and a full cast of suspicious characters, Sadie Hoffmiller is once again cooking her way through a case that offers far more questions than answers.

I love Sadie Hoffmiller. She's a kick and she's eccentric. But, she's also loyal. Josi Kilpack has created a charming character who just continues to grow on you as you read each successive story.

Sadie imagines herself an amateur, yet very experienced sleuth and since the police aren't listening to her, she decides to investigate things on her own. What follows is an intricate comedy of errors as Sadie uncovers layer upon layer of deception and secrets. If she's not tracking down potential criminals, she's cooking for them. And in this story, we meet her son Shawn, who's just like his mother at getting into trouble and tracking down criminals. He seems to have inherited her cooking skills too.

The story and Sadie's shenanigans are completely implausible, but hysterically funny. I wish Jane's character was better developed and that she got more of a comeuppance, but I also think that she will make a return appearance at some point.

Baking and cooking are as important to Sadie as breathing. So, just as in the first two novels, Lemon Tart and English Trifle, Josi includes the recipes that are relevant to the story. I can't wait to try several.

A delightful book, and easily recommended. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series, Key Lime Pie.

Thanks to Tracee at Pump Up Your Book Promotion for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Josi Kilpack here. You can find additional tour stops and reviews here. You can purchase your own copy here and here.

Read 2/10

* * * *
4/5 Stars